not all bodies but a good amount of body
is need tissue builder it is lovely to
help with building out phases such as
second and temples eyes even lips it's
like a Botox for the deceased my name is
Miranda I'm a mortician here at Milward
Funeral Directors in Lexington Kentucky
this is the entrance to no words our
casket showroom walnut hickory maple I
mean all kinds this room is our
visitation room we call this our music
room what I'm sitting on is an antique
this is a casket bier it's made for
castigated bodies this is our embalming
room this is an absolutely sacred place
and no one is allowed in here without
authorization
this is Miranda she is just at a
hospital over a Baptist so I thought it
would be a pretty simple removal I don't
mind going by myself right now I'm going
to Baptist to pick up a decedent who is
just expired when I was in mortuary
school I learned about death care but
now that I'm working in a funeral home
I've learned more about the process of
grief I believe that my job has given me
strength that I didn't know I was gonna
have when I first realized what death
was I was scared I would lay in bed
think about death and it was like this
black hole it was anxiety my feelings on
death have affected my feelings on life
I really do live every day like maybe
I'll die when I'm washing my hair I'm
putting myself together I'm like well if
I was in a car wreck it could just be
cut off anytime everything is so small
in life and you really realize the big
picture when you're faced with death
like how simple and sweet life can be I
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believe that women in the death industry
are the change we need in funeral
service for a long time it was a men
driven business and having women in this
field it's lightening the load for these
grieving families
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and bamhi makes me feel like an artist
more than a scientist yes I don't mind
outta me yes I know what these chemicals
are doing but it has everything to do
with art after that an average embalming
from start to finish for me takes
anywhere from an hour and a half to two
hours I look at the deceased and think
wow after everything they've done on
earth it just must be amazing to be
having the answers that they've finally
been given I might even talk to them
sometimes they haven't talked back yet
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cosmetics for the deceased really aren't
like the ones we buy in stores the ones
we buy in stores are going to react to
your warmth of your skin that's why we
use special cosmetics for the ladies I
like to use more of an opaque makeup
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after I do cosmetics on a body and dress
the body I look at that body in the
casket and think maybe this is how you
look in the afterlife I hope that's what
families take away from what I do as
well
that they can have that image of their
loved one enjoying whatever is next
I think green burials lovely and
cremation is also an option there's so
many options for cremation which I think
is a good thing but I also obviously
think embalming is beneficial for the
viewing process viewing is number one
priority this beautiful pink and white
casket has been a very popular with our
little elderly ladies even if it's just
you coming in and spending a minute with
your loved one I think it's so important
to view the body when I die I would like
my makeup look to be like my everyday
look my lipstick will be a bright red
preferably Ruby woo from Mac the
brighter the better I feel like I've
gained a positive outlook on death more
than a fear I'm not afraid of the dead
body I'm not afraid of touching the dead
body I'm not afraid of cleaning up I'm
not afraid of just being a comfort to
someone that most people would be afraid
to comfort if someone dies and I'm there
I will absolutely and honestly take care
of your loved one as though you were
taking care of them
I will give them the love that you will
give them I will make sure that whatever
happens to them happens with respect and
dignity I just hope that people can take
away that death doesn't have to be a
negative experience
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[Applause]